| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Harper, A., & Willis, K. (240501). Hospital memorial service bereavement support. BMJ Supportive and Palliative Care, 14(e1), (E399-E401). |
| 2024 | Maple, J. L., Whiteside, M., Smallwood, N., Putland, M., Baldwin, P., Bismark, M., Harrex, W., Johnson, D., Karimi, L., & Willis, K. (240401). Culture, conditions and care support mental health of healthcare workers during crises. Occupational Medicine, 74(3), (211-217). |
| 2024 | Maple, J. -L., Willis, K., Lewis, S., Putland, M., Baldwin, P., Bismark, M., Harrex, W., Johnson, D., Karimi, L., & Smallwood, N. (240401). Healthcare workers perceptions of strategies supportive of their mental health. Journal of Medicine, Surgery, and Public Health, 2 (100049-100049). |
| 2024 | Lewis, S., Willis, K., Smith, L., Dubbin, L., Rogers, A., Moensted, M. L., & Smallwood, N. (240201). There but not really involved: The meanings of loneliness for people with chronic illness. Social Science and Medicine, 343 |
| 2024 | Cheung, M. MY., Lewis, S., Raja, R., Willis, K., Dubbin, L., Rogers, A., Moensted, M. L., & Smith, L. (240101). Disruption and Improvisation: Experiences of Loneliness for People With Chronic Illness. Qualitative Health Research, |
| 2023 | Smallwood, N., Bismark, M., & Willis, K. (230901). Burn-out in the health workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic: Opportunities for workplace and leadership approaches to improve well-being. BMJ Leader, 7(3), (178-181). |
| 2023 | Moensted, M. L., Lewis, S., Willis, K., Dubbin, L., Rogers, A., & Smith, L. (230601). Friendship, connectedness and (in)authenticity for those with chronic illness: Trading in one social gain for another. SSM - Qualitative Research in Health, 3 |
| 2023 | Holmes, O. S., Ellen, S., Smallwood, N., Willis, K., Delaney, C., Worth, L. J., Dolan, S., Dunlop, L., McDonald, G., & Karimi, L. (230501). The Psychological and Wellbeing Impacts of Quarantine on Frontline Workers during COVID-19 and Beyond. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(10), |
| 2023 | Franklin, M., Willis, K., Lewis, S., & Smith, L. (230301). Chronic condition self-management is a social practice. Journal of Sociology, 59(1), (215-231). |
| 2023 | Kuhlmann, E., Lotta, G., Fernandez, M., Herten-Crabb, A., Mac, Fehr., Maple, J. L., Paina, L., Wenham, C., & Willis, K. (230203). SDG5 Gender Equality and the COVID-19 pandemic: A rapid assessment of health system responses in selected upper-middle and high-income countries. Frontiers in Public Health, 11 |
Key details
Areas of expertise
- Sociology
- Chronic conditions
- Qualitative research
- Health workforce
Available to supervise research students
Available for media queries
About Karen Willis
Karen is Professor of Public Health, College of Sport, Health and Engineering, Course Convenor MPH VU Online, and a member of the Institute for Health and Sport. Her research examines how individual health behaviours are linked to the broader social and political context. Current research examines loneliness in people with chronic health conditions and 'Future-proofing' frontline health workers during crises.
Karen's PhD research examined the social and political context of mammography screening in Australia.
Funded research includes:
- Staying Healthy: behaviours and services used by farmers and fishers
- How consumers negotiate between complementary and conventional health systems
- How Australians navigate the healthcare maze: the differential capacity to choose
- Establishing pathways to implement and sustain evidence based fall prevention in primary care
- Goal setting and chronic condition self management.
Karen's publications include:
- a health sociology textbook
- two edited books
- multiple book chapters
- >90 peer reviewed articles.
She has supervised 8 PhD students to completion. She regularly contributes to The Conversation and is active on Twitter.
Karen is editor in chief of Health Sociology Review.
Qualifications
- PhD (La Trobe University)
- GradDip Health Promotion (Curtin University)
- MA (Science and Technology Studies) (Wollongong University)
- BA (Deakin University)
Key publications
Journal article (showing 10 of 131)
Research funding for the past 5 years
Please note:
- Funding is ordered by the year the project commenced and may continue over several years.
- Funding amounts for contact research are not disclosed to maintain commercial confidentiality.
- The order of investigators is not indicative of the role they played in the research project.
2022
|
Adapting to extreme weather events: knowledges and practices in culturally diverse communities in Melbourne’s West
From: Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation (LMCF)
Other investigators: Dr Anne Venville, Dr Jerome Rachele, Ms Dianne Stevens, Ms Jaimie-lee Maple
For period: 2022-2023
|
$49,882 |
2021
|
Future proofing the frontline strategies to support frontline workers during times of crisis
From: Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation (LMCF)
For period: 2021-2023
|
$299,780 |
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to the following organisations for their support and essential contributions to my research:
-
Australian Research Council
2020-2022 Sick, lonely and left behind? A sociological study of loneliness (DP200101872) Dr Sophie Lewis (UNSW), Prof Karen Willis (VU), Prof Lorraine Smith (Uni of Sydney), Prof Anne Rogers (Uni of Southampton), Dr Leslie Dubbin (Uni California, South Francisco). $381,875
-
Lord Mayors Charitable Foundation
2021-2023: Future Proofing the Frontline: Strategies to support frontline workers during times of crisis: Prof Karen Willis (VU); A/Prof Natasha Smallwood (Monash Uni)
Supervision of research students at VU
Available to supervise research students
Available for media queries
Currently supervised research students at VU
| No. of students | Study level | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | PhD | Principal supervisor |
Currently supervised research students at VU
| Students & level | Role |
|---|---|
| PhD (1) | Principal supervisor |
Other supervision of research students
Karen has supervised Masters and PhD students to completion.
Key academic roles
| Dates | Role | Department / Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2017 - Jun 2021 |
Professor, Allied Health Research
|
La Trobe University |
| Jul 2014 - Jul 2017 |
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
|
Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University |
| Jan 2012 - Jul 2014 |
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
|
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney |
| Jun 2021 - Present |
Professor, Public Health
|
College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University |
| Dates | Role & Department/Organisation |
|---|---|
| Aug 2017 -
Jun 2021
|
Professor, Allied Health Research
La Trobe University |
| Jul 2014 -
Jul 2017
|
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University |
| Jan 2012 -
Jul 2014
|
Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney |
| Jun 2021 -
Present
|
Professor, Public Health
College of Health and Biomedicine, Victoria University |
Key industry, community & government roles
| Dates | Role | Department/Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 2019 - Jul 2023 |
Consumer Advisory Panel member
|
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner |
| Jul 2019 - Jul 2023 |
Research member
|
DHHS Ethics Committee |
| Jan 2019 - Dec 2022 |
Editor in Chief
|
Health Sociology Review |
| Dates | Role & Department/Organisation |
|---|---|
| Jul 2019 - Jul 2023 |
Consumer Advisory Panel member
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner |
| Jul 2019 - Jul 2023 |
Research member
DHHS Ethics Committee |
| Jan 2019 - Dec 2022 |
Editor in Chief
Health Sociology Review |
Professional memberships
- Academic Member, The Australian Sociological Association
Media appearances
28th March 2018
Do you really need private health insurance? Here’s what you need to know before deciding
The Conversation
10th February 2017
Increased private health insurance premiums don’t mean increased value
The Conversation
